Exploring the Relationship Between Development and Road Traffic Injuries: A Case Study from India

This article reports on a study undertaken to evaluated the trends in injury and death rates in a developing country (India), notably due to road traffic injuries (RTI). The authors also define sub-national variations and analyze the trends in relation to economic and population growth. Public sector data from India were used to develop a standardized database on traffic injuries and indications of economic development. The results show that the absolute burden of RTI in India has been consistently rising over the past three decades. However, the reported rates are lower than those estimated by global health agencies and may reflect under-reporting. Population-based rates provide a better assessment of the public health burden of RTI than vehicle-based rates. In addition, the relationship between population-based injury and death rate and the per capita NDP of the states and union territories reflects the association of development with RTI. Higher economic development, including a greater number of vehicles, results in a higher number of crashes. This rise in rates is then followed by a plateau and decline, most often related to increased investment in road safety measures, regulations, and public transport. The authors conclude that developing countries, including India, could avoid the expected rise in RTI and deaths that is so often concomitant with economic development by investing in road safety and prevention measures.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/11011262
• Authors:
  • Garg, Nitin
  • Hyder, Adnan A
• Publication Date: 2006-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 487-491
• Serial:
  • European Journal of Public Health
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISSN: 1101-1262
  • EISSN: 1464-360X
  • Serial URL: http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injuries; Demographics; Developing countries; Economic development; Fatalities; Highway safety; Socioeconomic development; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mortality; Population-based studies
• Geographic Terms: India
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01047267
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 27 2007 2:12PM